A CHERISHED SYNAGOGUE

THANN, 1866–2026

THE VIBRANT LEGACY OF A COMMUNITY

Located at the heart of Thann, the synagogue has stood for over a century, its presence largely overlooked behind a modest façade. Despite its discreet profile, the building, with the Rabbi’s house and the “mikwe” are of historical significance, closely linked with the development of the town.

For more than a decade, a constant collective effort has been dedicated to the maintenance and renewal of this heritage site. The” Association Des Amis de la Synagogue de Thann”—a secular, community-based organization—brings together local residents, descendants of the former Jewish community, volunteers, skilled craftspeople, and heritage professionals around a shared objective: restoring the synagogue to its former vitality. Beyond material, salvage the project seeks to safeguard and secure a collective memory, specifically that of a historic Jewish community that was fully integrated into the town of Thann’s economic and social fabric.

Through systematic restoration of domes, stained-glass windows, and architectural spaces, the synagogue is progressively regaining its historical dignity and contemporary relevance. Each restored element serves as an act of cultural transmission, demonstrating commitment to historical preservation and intergenerational responsibility.

Featuring as part of the European Days of Jewish Culture an illustrated video tells the story of this building, retracing the major stages of its history and the growth of the Jewish community under the period of the French Second Empire, the construction of the synagogue in 1862, the destruction linked to the First World War, the annihilation of the Jewish population during the

Nazi period, and finally the fragile revival of the community before its decline at the end of the twentieth century.

Through the dedicated work of the ” Association Des Amis de la Synagogue de Thann”, this heritage site has been protected from loss and neglect. The project’s objective is to establish the restored synagogue as an accessible, living space for memory, cultural programming, and community engagement, open to all audiences.

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DECIPHERING EPITAPHS AND ACROSTICS ENGRAVED ON THE GRAVESTONES OF THE OLD JEWISH CEMETERY OF THE TOWN OF THANN

The old Jewish cemetery of Thann is an exceptional heritage site at the crossroads of history, art, and European memory.

Dating back to 1794, it bears witness to Jewish presence in Alsace and to social transformations resulting from the French Revolution.

Its sandstone steles, now fragile, are inscribed with Hebrew epitaphs of great spiritual and literary richness.

Nearly one third of them feature unique acrostics*, true scholarly compositions rooted in Jewish sacred texts.

This rare corpus, likely associated with Rabbi Salomon Moock (1833–1898), represents a cultural heritage of inestimable value.

The site is also distinguished by an unprecedented iconographic dialogue between Jewish motifs and local Gothic architecture, notably that of the Collegiate Church of Saint-Thiébaut, the city’s other spiritual center.

Each grave tells a human story, revealing community life, family tragedies, and funerary traditions.

Deciphering work carried out by Roger Harmon, a specialist in the history of Jews in Alsace and particularly in the interpretation of epitaphs and the ” Association Des Amis de la Synagogue de Thann”, has helped preserve these messages threatened with disappearance, ensuring their safeguarding and the transmission of a unique European cultural heritage that embodies memory, diversity, and intercultural dialogue.

*A poem in which the initial letters of each line, read vertically, spell out the name of the deceased, and often that of their father.